SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/1/2024 8:54 AM
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: PT-9 “The
Signs of Christ’s Coming”
Bible reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
25:14-30
Message of the verse: “14"For it
is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own
slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 “To one he gave five talents,
to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on
his journey. 16 “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and
traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 “In the same manner the one
who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 “But he who
received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground
and hid his master’s money. 19 “Now after a long time the master of those
slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 “The one who had received the
five
talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master,
you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 “His
master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with
a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your
master.’ 22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and
said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more
talents.’ 23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You
were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter
into the joy of your master.’ 24 “And the one also who had received the one
talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where
you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 ‘And I was
afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is
yours.’ 26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave,
you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.
27 ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would
have received my money back with interest. 28 ‘Therefore take away the
talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ 29 "For
to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance;
but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
30 “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
John MacArthur begins his commentary on these verses
by quoting a poem Maud Muller,
written by John Greenleaf Whittier: “For
all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘it might have been!’” It certainly seems that this quotation fits
the story of the man who was given one talent by His Master, who was Jesus and
he just hid it in the ground and did nothing with it. Jesus says that He gave the money to each based
on their talent, and Lord willing we will talk about that later.
The
Bible shows many opportunities in it in order to take advantage of opportunity while
it is available. For instance Solomon
wrote “Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after
many days,” and “Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening,
for you do not know whether the morning or evening sowing will succeed, or
whether both of them alike will be good” (Eccles. 11:1, 6). Solomon also wrote “He who gathers in summer
is a son who acts wisely but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts
shamefully” (Prov. 10:5). Solomon’s
father, David had written, “As for me, my prayer is to Thee, O Lord at an
acceptable time” (Ps. 69:13). MacArthur
then quotes another psalmist who wrote “Come, let us worship and bow down; let
us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For
He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His
hand. Today, if you would hear His
voice, do not harden your hearts” (Ps. 95:6-8).
I
have a few more quotes from MacArthur’s commentary before I end the first part
of this introduction to these verses, a section that up until now I have not
completely understood as well as I should have.
“Isaiah
exhorted, ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near’
(Isa. 55:6). Jeremiah reminded his
readers that ‘even the stork in the sky knows her seasons; and the turtledove and
the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration; but my people do not
know the ordinance of the Lord’ (Jer. 8:7; cf. Heb. 3:7-8). Paraphrasing his preceding quotation from
Isaiah, Paul admonished the Corinthian believers, ‘Behold, now is ‘the
acceptable time,’ behold now is ‘the day of salvation’’ (2 Cor. 6:2; cf. Isa.
49:8).”
“Jesus
repeatedly called on men to make the most of spiritual opportunities. ‘For a little while longer the light is among
you. Walk while you have the light, that
darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he
goes. While you have the light, believe
in the light, in order that you may become sons of light (John 12:35-36).”
3/1/2024 9:26 AM
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